“I can get the keys if you’d like to test drive it,” Patrick said. “I just need a copy of your license.”
Ella fished through her purse and handed over her license. Valero considered it a small victory and tried not to smile. If she thought for one moment he was gleeful over getting her to purchase the van, she’d probably insist on the small car just to piss him off. Stubborn, that’s what she was.
By the time Ella test drove the van, they filled out the paperwork, and were ready to leave a few hours had passed. Connor looked tired and he’d been asking for food for over an hour. Valero got the booster seat out of his truck and put it into the van for Ella, then buckled Connor in. Ella didn’t pull away when he kissed her softly and told her to drive carefully.
“If you’ll follow me, we’ll stop and get something to eat. Connor is starving and I’m sure you are too.”
“It’s a little early for dinner.”
“Then we’ll eat now and we’ll snack on something like wings and fries later. I can have B-Street Wings deliver something later tonight if we get hungry.” Valero smiled. “Now stop arguing and get into your new van.”
She smiled widely and did as he said. Valero shook his head, but he was happy that she’d selected the van. Not only because it meant she had something she really liked, but because it meant she was thinking about expanding their family. And yes, it was their family. She might not have agreed yet to be his mate, but he hoped it was only a matter of time. Maybe Rory would put in a good word for him. Crap. He needed to set that up still.
While he drove to Ponderosa, the best Mexican place in town, he pulled out his cell phone and called Zwyk.
“Shouldn’t you be spending time with Ella?” Zwyk asked by way of greeting.
“Did I interrupt something?”
“If I said yes, would you hang up?”
Valero smiled. “Not until I get what I want.”
Zwyk sighed. “And what’s that?”
“I need Rory to invite Ella out for a girls’ day. Spa, shopping, whatever. I’ll give the two of you an advance copy of my next game and some cash to cover Ella’s expenses.”
“Sounds like we’re getting more out of the deal,” Zwyk said.
“I was hoping Rory might nudge Ella along a bit, tell her I’m not such a horrible guy and to give me a chance. She seems to be fine with sex between us, but she doesn’t want something more.”
“And you want a family,” Zwyk said. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll talk to Rory and maybe she’ll call to set up something tonight. She likes Ella.”
“Thanks. Back to whatever you were doing, and no, I don’t want to know what it was.”
Zwyk chuckled and hung up the phone.
Valero pulled into the parking lot at Ponderosa and waited for Ella to park next to him. Then he went to retrieve Connor and they walked inside as a family. He wanted to call Connor his son, wanted to hear the word “daddy”, and he was wondering if it would ever happen. Ella reached over and took his other hand, surprising him. She smiled warmly as they stepped inside and waited to be seated.
Connor slid into the booth and Ella started to follow, but the little boy stopped her.
“Not you, Mama.”
Ella appeared taken aback, but she scooted into the booth on the other side.
“You want me to sit beside you?” Valero asked Connor. The little boy nodded.
Valero claimed his seat and felt warmth spread through his chest. Even if the mama wasn’t warming up to him as much as he’d like, it seemed Connor didn’t have a problem with him. They ordered their food and drinks, then nibbled on the offered chips and salsa.
“Did you work on my game?” Connor asked. “The troll game.”
“I did,” Valero said with a smile. “I didn’t get very far but it’s started.”
“Does it take a long time to make one?” Connor asked.
“Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. It depends on the type of game. Some games take about six months while others take a few years. It will depend on how many programmers and artists I hire. Right now, I’m trying to get a base started for everything, then I’ll turn it over to a team.”
“And I get to test it when it’s done?” Connor asked.
“You bet. You’re going to be my number one game tester for this one.”
Connor beamed.
“If it’s okay with your mama, when we get home we can play a game. We can play something on one of my game systems if you’d like.”
Connor’s eyes went wide. “You have an Xbox One and a Playstation, don’t you?”
Valero nodded.
“No gory games,” Ella said. “And nothing too violent.”
“I’m a big boy,” Connor said. “Why can’t I play Gears of War?”
“Because you’re not a big enough boy for something like that. Not until you’re twelve.”
Connor pouted. “That’s too long. They probably won’t even have Gears of War by then.”
Valero nudged him. “They’ll have something even better. When you turn ten, you can help me come up with a new game idea and maybe it will be ready for your twelfth birthday.”
“I can help again?” Connor asked.
“You can help me as much as you’d like,” Valero said. “It’s nice to have another gamer in the house. Maybe we can get your mom to play.”
Connor shook his head. “She’ll never play.”
“I’m not coordinated enough,” Ella said. “All the buttons confuse me.”
“I actually have something you might like,” Valero said. “Are you familiar with the original Nintendo systems? With the Mario games and such?”
Ella nodded.
“I have one and a box of games. Why don’t we hook it up and see if you like anything? If you don’t want to play after giving it a try, I won’t ask again.”
She smiled faintly. “Determined to make a gamer of me, are you?”
He shrugged. “The family that games together stays together.”
“I don’t think that’s how that quote goes.”
Valero smiled.
Their food arrived and Connor dug in with such enthusiasm Valero had to stifle a laugh.
“Is it good?” he asked Connor.
The little boy nodded and didn’t even take a break from shoveling food into his mouth.
“Connor, stop and take a breath,” Ella said. “The food isn’t going anywhere.”
“But we never get to eat like this. What if we can’t come back?” he asked.
Valero watched Ella carefully and wished he could hold her close. She looked devastated. It wasn’t her fault they’d not been able to eat out much during Connor’s short life, and if Valero had anything to say about it, there would be plenty of outings in their future.
“Connor, if you like eating here, we can come again whenever you’d like,” Valero said. “I know you haven’t had many treats like this before, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Your mom has worked hard to provide for you and I think she’s done a good job. But I can assure you, the money isn’t going to run out anytime soon. We can eat out several times a week if you’d like.”
Ella shook her head.
“Or not. Although, I’m a horrible cook.”
Ella’s cheeks flushed. “I can cook. I just never had the money for ingredients to make anything nice. If you’ll go shopping with me, I can make some decent dinners for us.”
“We can go shopping in the morning right after we take Connor to school. Make a list of whatever you need. Don’t worry about the cost. If you want to cook, I’ll be happy to let you. Just don’t feel like you have to.”
Ella nodded and went back to eating her food.
They finished their dinner and Valero paid the bill, then they went home. Valero didn’t mind spoiling Ella and Connor, and he hoped he had more opportunities for it. It was hard not to whisk them off to the mall for a day of shopping, or take Connor to a game store and let him run wild. Baby steps. Ella had le
t him purchase a van for her, so maybe he could talk her into some other things as well.
He’d just have to bide his time. Something he wasn’t very good at.
For now, he had a game system to hook up so he could coax Ella over to the dark side.
Chapter Five
Ella had to admit she loved her new van. Well, new to her anyway. It was four years old, but it handled beautifully and was far nicer than anything she’d ever owned before. It would probably take her forever to figure out all the little buttons. She adored the leather interior and it even smelled like a new car. It still baffled her that Valero had enough money to pay cash for something as big as a van, and just proved they were completely different. They’d dropped Connor off at school and stopped for coffee.
“Do you not like it?” Valero asked as she stared out the window. “Your coffee?”
Her gaze flew to his. She’d been daydreaming again and was letting her coffee get cold. Valero puzzled her. He was a great catch. Perhaps a little obsessed with video games, and she supposed that could be a turnoff for some people, but he was well-off and a tender lover -- based on what little she’d experienced with him -- and he was such a sweet guy. Why hadn’t someone snapped him up by now? She kept waiting to find out something horrible about him.
“It’s good. I was just thinking.”
“Good thoughts?” he asked.
“Why aren’t you married already?” she asked. “You seem too good to be true.”
“I work a lot, or I did. Now that I have Connor and you in the house, I’m going to let a team of programmers and artists do the bulk of the work. It means not making as much of a profit quite as fast, but I have enough money for us to live comfortably.”
Ella laughed a bit.
“Why is that funny?” Valero asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
“Comfortably? Valero, you’re rich. You have more money than Connor and I have ever dreamed of. Even if you had to sell the house and get something much smaller, you would still be well-off compared to us.”
Valero reached out and took her hand. “I’m not married because I never found the right woman. I dated, but I didn’t feel a connection to any of those women. And most were only after me for my money.”
“Like me.” She shook her head.
“No, not like you. The others would have jumped at the chance for a new car, and probably would have insisted on a flashy, expensive one. Then they would have demanded a shopping trip to the jeweler’s, where they would have bought the biggest diamonds. They wanted someone to buy them whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, and they couldn’t have cared less who did it.”
“I know there are women out there like that, but surely you dated some good ones too.”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t see myself starting a family with any of them. We went on one or two dates, and then I moved on. Don’t ask me to explain why you’re different, because I’m not sure I can. I just know you are different. I like having Connor and you in my home, and when I think of having more children with you, it just feels right. You’re a wonderful mother, Ella. I know you don’t feel like it, but you truly are. You’ve made Connor your number one priority in life, no matter what it cost you. One day he’ll realize how lucky he is to have a mom like you.”
Her eyes misted with tears. “Thank you.”
“I know you aren’t ready to get married. You’re still adjusting to not being completely on your own, and I respect that. Just keep in mind that at any point if you decide you want more, I will happily get down on one knee and ask you to be mine.”
It made her wonder if she was being a bitch by holding out. Truthfully, she liked Valero, and she liked the way he made her feel. She’d heard enough about his kind to know they mated for life, so if she agreed, it wasn’t like it would end in divorce. But she wanted to bring something to the marriage, to be able to contribute in some way. She’d called and quit her job this morning, knowing it wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Valero had insisted she could stay with him as long as she wanted, with a hint of forever in his eyes. It was tempting to say yes, that she would be his.
“Just how many more children do you want?” she asked.
“I’d love a house full, but if my mate wanted fewer children than I have rooms, I would understand. Do you not want more children? You’re so good with Connor.”
“I want more. I think.” Her brow furrowed. “I’ve never really pictured our lives with an adult male figure present. I guess I just figured that it wasn’t likely I would ever date seriously, much less get married. I was prepared to be a single mom until Connor went off to college.”
“I understand you’ve been on your own a long time. And I wasn’t joking. You’ve done a fantastic job with Connor. I’d just like to help, if you’ll let me. I’d like you to consider that maybe having someone by your side wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
“What do I have to offer you, Valero? As of this morning, I don’t even have a part-time job. You bought me a car. I’m living in your house.”
He tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Ella, do you think the only reason I want you in my life is because I think you can offer me something? I guess in some respects that isn’t far off, but it isn’t monetary assistance I want from you. I want someone to walk next to me in life, to have a family with, to share the good times and the bad. And maybe one day it will grow into love. All of my mated friends are wildly in love with their mates. To be honest, I already feel something for you, but I’m not sure it’s strong enough yet to call it love. But I know I would be heartbroken if you were to leave.”
“I don’t want to leave.” She bit her lip. “But I don’t want to feel like I’m getting a free ride either.”
“Do you know how hard stay-at-home moms work? My friend Reyvor hires a babysitter once a week to watch their kids just so Hazel can have a break and get a little adult time. He hires someone to help with the housekeeping, but she insists on cooking and taking care of the kids herself. I’d do the same for you, and even hire a cook if you didn’t want to make our meals.”
“I don’t want to be spoiled, Valero. I want to pull my own weight and contribute to our family just as much as you do.”
“What if you helped me in my office for an hour a day and then used the rest of the time for whatever you wanted? At least, until Connor came home. You could volunteer at the library, volunteer at Connor’s school… anything you want to do.”
“How does that contribute to the family?” she asked.
“I’m sure Connor would love it if you read to his class sometimes. And if you worked at the library, you could maybe read during children’s time there. Reyvor’s youngest go to that during the week. It’s twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maybe some free time would allow you to draw more, or find a hobby you really like. You can contribute to the family by not being so stressed all the time and learning to enjoy life a bit more. Do you think Connor cares if you have a job? If you’re home, maybe you could use that new minivan for field trips with the class.”
It was tempting, more tempting than he’d ever know. She knew that stay-at-home moms worked hard, but most of them didn’t have maids and cooks at their disposal. Not that she would want a cook. She liked creating things in the kitchen. They were supposed to go grocery shopping after coffee, and she’d already planned out their meals for the next few days. She wouldn’t plan more than that until she figured out what Valero liked and didn’t like.
She sipped at her coffee and watched a young mother across the room with her infant. She remembered those days well, except hers had been filled with fear. Ella had Connor by herself in a hospital room she wouldn’t have been able to afford without being on government assistance. It had nearly broken her to ask for help, but she’d known even then she couldn’t do it all on her own. But she’d tried. What would it be like to have a baby and not have to worry all the time?
“What do human/Terran babies look like?” she asked.
“They usually take after the father’s coloring, but sometimes the mother’s eye color comes through.” He tipped his head. “Are you thinking about what it would be like to have one?”
“Maybe.” She tore her gaze away from the mother and looked at Valero. “I missed a lot with Connor as a baby because I was so scared every day. I didn’t know the first thing about being a mom and I was completely on my own. I guess I just wondered what it would be like to have a baby without all that extra stress. The sleepless nights are hard enough without piling on more crap.”
He smiled a little. “Well, no extra crap piled on if you decide to marry me. I’ll help in any way I can, even with midnight diaper changes.”
Ella toyed with her coffee cup. “What if we got married and things didn’t work out? What if we ended up hating each other?”
“Ella, I’m not going to rush you into anything. If you want more time to make a decision, you can have all the time in the world. But know this… if you marry me, it will be forever. Terrans do not divorce their mates.” He tipped his head to the side. “Besides, I don’t see us ever coming to hate one another.”
She finished her coffee and stood. “We’d better get the shopping done. I’d like to get everything put away and maybe check the classifieds before Connor gets out of school.”
Valero sighed and stood, collecting their cups and throwing them away.
It wasn’t that she’d meant to cut their conversation short, but… well, yes. Yes, she had meant to cut it short because it wasn’t anything that hadn’t already been said. She knew he wanted her as his mate, hadn’t made it a secret, but she wasn’t ready. Despite his words of not pushing her, that was exactly what it’d felt like.
Ella drove them to the grocery store and grabbed a cart, wheeling it toward the produce section first. Valero followed along and didn’t say much, except to answer a question here or there. He seemed a little tense, and she felt bad for pushing him away again. An attractive, wealthy man actually wanted to marry her, and she was being a bitch about it. It was one thing to be cautious, but maybe she’d been a little too abrupt with him.
Ella and the Alien Gamer (Intergalactic Brides 10) Page 6